We Are Golden
by mveloc
Summary: A collection of Cophine one-shots with an AU high school setting.
1. We've Got Spirit (How Bout You?)

This is the first in a collection of Cophine one-shots I've been working on. Each one is a high school AU featuring our favourite scientists. Some will be smutty, some will be fluffy, some will be angsty. This is mostly just something I have a lot of fun writing and doesn't really fit in the other pieces I'm working on, so I figured I'd just gather them all here.

* * *

Lunch is her favourite period.

Most people automatically assume that honor falls to second period, based purely on the fact that Biology currently occupies that time slot. This assumption would have been correct a month ago; that was before she spent an hour every morning for the last three weeks huddled over a microscope with a certain blonde pressed firmly against her side, the two of them sharing glances at the cell underneath, scribbling their findings on a sheet of paper. Every second she spends at the blonde's side is agonizing in ways she, for all her wisdom, doesn't fully comprehend. She's careful not to let her eyes linger too long on one area, like the lower lip she's always chewing on or her perfect mess of curls she's always raking such deft and nimble fingers through. Cosima is mature for her age, wise beyond her years, and yet every day when Delphine sits down next to her in Bio class, she turns into a giant ball of teenage hormones and it's reaching a painful boiling point.

The semester hadn't started off so bad. Of course, she took notice of the blonde the second she first walked through the door, but her feelings were somehow manageable from a distance. Delphine had claimed the unmanned desk at the very front of the room while Cosima sat at the very back, where she was able to gawk without fear of exposure. Transferring a couple of weeks into the semester meant that the foreign girl was the only one in the class without a lab partner, but her solitude was excused. Instead of forcing her to join another team, Mr. Roberts had let her fly solo, probably because of her stellar grasp of the subject matter. Cosima was initially jealous; Scott was the best possible lab partner, but she was incorrigible in her pursuit of knowledge and having to share a microscope and wait for Scott to catch up to her overly quick deductions meant that she was sacrificing time and resources she could be using to propel herself even further ahead of the class. Delphine was free to move at her own pace, answering to nobody, and it was a freedom that left the brunette green with envy. This changed, however, when Scott's dad was offered a job in Minnesota and the awkward young boy was spirited away to the bowels of the Midwest. With both girls sans a lab partner, there was only one logical solution.

"Since we're evenly numbered now," Mr. Roberts had proclaimed. "Delphine, why don't you join Cosima? I'm sure she's feeling a little lonely back there all by herself."

His suggestion sent an icy pang through her chest, causing her entire body to lock up. Delphine turned in her seat to direct her attention to the stiffened brunette and the two exchanged hesitant glances before the blonde finally gathered her books and shuffled to the back of the room, dropping down on the stool next to her.

"_Bonjour_," she had said with a coy smile.

It was the first time they had ever (officially) spoken to each other outside of the context of classroom debate. It wasn't that Delphine had been cold to her prior; the European hadn't seemed to notice her much at all, aside from the casual smile she'd slip whenever the two crossed paths in the hallway or their eyes met from across the room. Cosima had nearly choked on her own words, but managed to utter some sort of syllable in greeting.

Delphine has proven to be an even more adept lab partner than Scott. The brunette never has to worry about waiting for her to catch up with her own observations or double checking the blonde's lab report before she hands it in. It's sort of nice in a way, to work with someone who is more than an equal to her intellectual drive. The tradeoff, however, means that she spends an hour every day in close proximity to the one person who rouses kamikaze butterflies from their slumber in her stomach. She's normally such a talkative girl, but around Delphine, she tries her best to hold her clever tongue for fear of sounding like a bumbling idiot in front the only person whose opinion matters. Despite her best attempts at being conservative, she always finds another way to make a fool of herself. That morning, her and Delphine had both leaned in to take a peak through the microscope at the very same time, bumping foreheads. She'd apologized profusely and the European just giggled, reassuring her. As they both scribbled down their findings on lined paper, her right arm had brushed against Delphine's left on the table and she'd locked up like she usually did when she came into direct contact with her partner. What made it worse was the fact that Delphine didn't seem to mind. She certainly noticed, as Cosima took note of the goosebumps raised along the blonde's arm. She didn't withdraw her arm, didn't shoot Cosima a questioning glance. She simply held it there until the bell finally signaled the end of the class and the brunette darted away as quickly as humanly possible.

She's still a little flustered from her latest display of awkwardness with Delphine and she knows there's only one thing in this world that will settle her nerves now. As she walks around the back of the building, she smiles when she spots the disheveled punk leaning against the wall, aggressive music blaring from her headphones.

"Hey, Sarah," she says with a wave, closing the distance between them.

Sarah lifts her head, taking note of her visitor. She pulls her headphones from her ears and tucks them into her pocket.

"Oi."

This has become a common occurrence between them. Cosima and Sarah are polar opposites, the former being the charmingly geeky overachiever and the latter your typical troubled teen with a knack for stirring up trouble. The only thing the two seem to share is their mischievousness (Cosima's brand arguably more playful), their quick tongues and this corner in the parking lot where they've been meeting since freshmen year.

"Can I have a dime?" the spectacled girl asks, digging a ten dollar bill out of her pocket.

Sarah nods, then shrugs her backpack from her shoulders to dig through it. She retrieves a ziplock bag and trades it for the money, her eyes quickly scanning the area to make sure there are no observers. As soon as the exchange is over, she shoves her hands into the pockets of her tattered leather jacket and tries to look as inconspicuous as possible.

"Vic says this stuff's a little stronger than the stuff I sold you last week, yeah?" Sarah warns.

"So, don't smoke it all at once or I can kiss my entire day goodbye," Cosima says with a nod, slipping the baggie into the safety of her bra,.

"Basically."

Their school is full of an abundance of burnouts, but Cosima doesn't consider herself to be one of them. Unlike a lot of her peers, she doesn't spend her days toking in her basement and frying her brain beyond the point of thought. For her, it's a joint to relieve some of her anxiety (usually brought upon by her lab partner) or a couple of bong hits when she needs a little inspiration to finish a paper.

"Having more girlfriend troubles?" Sarah inquires with a smirk.

"She's not my girlfriend and I don't have a problem," Cosima protests.

"Oh, come on. Ever since Roberts pawned her off on you, you've been coming here twice as often."

This is true, although the clever girl is unwilling to admit it. She sighs, kicking at a stone on the ground as Sarah snickers.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only if you have eyes."

Sarah teases her incessantly and she drags her feet the whole way as the two girls walk back around to the front of the school, where the rest of their peers are eating and conversing and enjoying their lunch period. The punk slings an arm around her neck, trying to pull the geek out of her slump.

"Don't worry about it, yeah? I'm not gonna tell anyone you have the hots for Little Miss Perfect."

"Gee, you're too kind," Cosima mutters sarcastically.

"Speaking of which," Sarah says. "Incoming."

Cosima's head perks up at Sarah's words and she spots the blonde approaching them from across the field. Her spine straightens and a large lump forms in her throat as she considers her options; she could slip away and pretend like she simply didn't see Delphine, but when the European waves in her direction, she realizes that's impossible and manages a half-hearted wave of her own.

"Oh, shit. This is golden," Sarah says through her bout of laughter.

Cosima shoves her harshly as Delphine finally stops in front of them, all smiles and perfect hair.

"_Bonjour_, Cosima!"

Cosima nods a little too enthusiastically.

"Yeah. Hey. Hi."

"You left class so quickly today," Delphine remarks. "Are you feeling well?"

The blonde's concern makes her heart slam even more furiously against her ribcage and she wonders how one person can be so perfect; not only is Delphine absolutely gorgeous, but her intelligence rivals Cosima and her kindness is always genuine, unlike their other female classmates.

"Me? Oh, yeah. Totally. I'm fine. Awesome."

"_Bien_. I'm glad."

Sarah can barely contain her laughter as she observes them from behind Cosima, slapping a hand over her mouth in an attempt to prevent her cackling. Delphine's brow furrows as she inspects the punk and Cosima mentally reminds herself that she needs to find a new source of weed. As she opens her mouth to snap at Sarah, she's distracted by an extremely colorful bus pulling up to the side of the school and into her line of vision. It reminds her of something out of the 60s, with brightly colored flowers painted along the sides among other things.

"Are the Merry Pranksters in town or something?" she wonders aloud.

Sarah and Delphine both turn to see what she's referring to.

"Oh. It's the spirit bus," Delphine remarks.

"Spirit bus? What the hell's a spirit bus?" Cosima asks.

"Everyone rides to the game in the spirit bus, and they all cheer and sing. It's to support the team," Delphine explains.

"So, it's a big wank-fest then," Sarah summarizes.

The punk and the geek both start laughing as the French girl stares at them blankly, her shoulders slumping ever-so-slightly.

"As if a couple of "hip-hip-hoorays" will really make a difference. We're still gonna get clobbered, just like we do every year. What a lame idea," Cosima muses.

"How about you, blondie? You gonna be on the spirit bus?" Sarah jokes.

"Well... yes."

As soon as Delphine's confession leaves her lips, the spectacled girl immediately stops laughing.

"I'm the one who's organizing the spirit bus. I... I actually came to see if you wanted to buy a ticket, Cosima, but... nevermind."

She feels ice freeze in her veins, her mouth go dry and her throat begin to swell shut. She's spent the better part of the semester trying not to look like a tool in front of Delphine and she's managed to make herself look like biggest one in the entire school in a matter of seconds.

"Oh. _Oh shit_. I'm so sorry, Delphine!" she apologizes, flailing her hands about.

"I-It's fine. I guess it _is_ sort of an overzealous idea...," the blonde replies, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

"No, it's not! It's a pretty amazing idea, actually!'

"Is that right?" Sarah asks, arching a brow at Cosima.

"For sure! I mean, there's totally not enough school spirit anymore! We could use some more spirit! Go Eagles!" Cosima says, pumping a fist in the air to emphasize her point.

"_Vraiment?_" Delphine asks, her skepticism matching Sarah's.

"Yeah! I'll totally buy a ticket! Shit, if there were ten of me, I'd buy ten! It'll be fun!"

Delphine's face immediately lights up and she's all radiant smiles and golden halos once again.

"Nice save, geek face," Sarah whispers in Cosima's ear.

"That's wonderful!" Delphine exclaims. "I'm so glad you've decided to come. To be honest, I've had a lot of trouble selling tickets."

"I can't imagine why," Sarah mumbles once again, earning herself a death glare from Cosima.

"Okay. The bus will be parked in front of the school after the final bell. I'll save you a seat."

"O-Okay. Sure thing. I'll be there."

Before she can register what is happening, Delphine is leaning forward, pressing a kiss to one of her cheeks, followed by the other in a typical European fashion. The contact leaves her body buzzing and mouth speechless as she stumbles to find something to say, anything at all. Delphine darts away with a smile and a "ciao" before she has a chance to actually find the words.

"Did I just agree to ride to a football game in a ridiculous-looking short bus with a girl I can barely form coherent thoughts around?" she asks.

"Looks like it."

She groans, slipping her fingers under her lenses and rubbing her eyes.

"Have fun on your date," Sarah snickers, following Delphine's lead and wandering off on her own.

"It's not a date!"

* * *

"God, I hate football."

Twenty minutes into the game and the brunette feels what she can only assume is brain atrophy begin to settle in. For such a logical person, she'd made a pretty illogical decision in accepting Delphine's invitation onto the spirit bus. She isn't sure what she was hoping to achieve in doing so, but her lack of foresight has left her stranded at a football game without a friendly face in sight.

The bus ride to the game had been almost painfully awkward. As promised, Delphine had saved her a seat on the bus, but the shorter girl was still too flustered in her partner's presence to hold a meaningful conversation. If she had smoked the weed she'd bought off Sarah during lunch, perhaps she would have felt more at ease, but she hadn't had any time throughout the course of the day to sneak away and indulge. Delphine had bombarded her with a number of ideas for their upcoming Biology project, all of which Cosima approved with a simple nod or grunt. As soon as the bus arrived at their destination, she'd parted ways with a sweet smile and an "adieu" before venturing off with another group of girls. Cosima didn't take it personally; Delphine is a member of the student council and so she has a duty at school events that she must uphold, a duty that transcends their awkward relationship. Cosima had taken a seat by herself on the bleachers, away from the main group of spectators, slumped in a lone heap. Most of the other spectators were from the school they were playing against and the few faces she did recognize were faces she tended to avoid like the plague, so she had opted for solitude instead. And yet, after only a few plays, she'd found the game to be unbearable and had quietly slipped away from the activity without a single soul noticing her departure.

As she exits the area and ventures into the parking lot, she retrieves the perfectly formed joint from her bra and places it between her lips. At this point, everyone is watching the game so she isn't afraid of getting caught. She spots that ridiculous, brightly-coloured bus and figures that it'll serve as a perfect shield from the possibility of prying eyes, so she meanders over towards it.

"You're such an idiot," she mumbles to herself, bringing the lighter to the end of the joint and lighting it.

She'd been so eager to please her lab partner that she'd completely abandoned her dignity in the process. As she turns around the back of the bus, she slams into another body, one that's significantly taller and sturdier than her own. The impact sends her stumbling backwards and she falls on her ass, groaning.

"Shit. Sorry."

She shakes the daze out of her head and opens her eyes to register the large, burly man standing over her. She recognizes him as the bus driver and he offers her a hand which she gratefully accepts, allowing him to tug her back onto her feet with a powerful yank.

"No worries," she replies, brushing herself off.

"Looks like you had the same idea as me, kid."

She notices the joint dangling from between his lips and smirks.

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," she tries.

He shrugs.

"Works for me."

With that, he begins to wander off and her eyes come to rest on the bus, the door wide open. Last she checked, it was the bus driver's responsibility to watch the bus and here he was, running off to God knows where to do God knows what.

"Hey! Where are you going?" she shouts.

"I'll be back when the game's over," he hollers over his shoulder. "Be a good girl and make sure nobody jacks our wheels."

She opens her mouth to say something, but the driver dips around a corner and out of her line of vision and she realizes that she's stuck.

"Great. Now I have to babysit a friggin' bus. Wonderful."

Although, to be honest, she figures it's better than the alternative as she has no desire to return to the arena and watch jocks pummel each other for another hour or so. Sighing, she leans back against the vehicle and takes a heavy drag, holding it in her lungs. When she finally releases it, she feels better almost instantaneously. She can already feel the THC beginning to take effect, bringing a sheepish smile to her face and calming her nerves. It doesn't even rattle her when she notices a familiar blonde rear around the back of the bus, stopping dead in her tracks when she notices Cosima.

"O-Oh. Cosima. I didn't expect anyone to be here," she stutters.

"Yeah, neither did I. Hence, you know, the joint," she says with a laugh, gesturing towards the joint in her hand.

Her eyes drop to the unlit cigarette in Delphine's hand.

"Came to have a smoke?" she inquires.

The European's face turns a bright shade of red and she reaches into her purse, fumbling with her pack of cigarettes in an attempt to slip the one between her fingers back inside.

"Hey, it's fine. I don't care or anything. Do what you gotta do," Cosima says.

She watches as Delphine's body slowly relaxes.

"Promise you won't tell?"

She's usually so nervous when speaking to the gorgeous blonde, but the weed is having its intended effect, making it far easier for her to socialize and forget her anxiety. She watches Delphine nibble on her bottom lip and bow her head slightly, like a child getting caught in the midst of doing something naughty. She can't help but find it adorable.

"Why would I tell on you?" she asks.

"I don't want to get in trouble," Delphine replies, her doe eyes pleading for secrecy.

Cosima giggles, taking another drag from her joint.

"Your secret's safe with me," she promises, exhaling a puff of smoke as she speaks. "Besides, you kinda have an ace up your sleeve, anyway."

"_Pardon_?" Delphine asks, bemused.

"Well, if I ratted you out for smoking a cigarette, you could always rat me out for smoking pot. I'd get in way more trouble than you. I'd probably get suspended," the brunette explains.

Delphine finally smiles.

"_C'est vrai_."

She places the cigarette between her lips and lights up. Cosima continues to lean back against the bus, watching her intently. Her eyes fixate on her lab partner's perfect lips, taking note of how they maneuver themselves around the cancerous stick; she smokes the cigarette like it's an extension of herself, not like a lot of her classmates do, huffing greedily and occasionally coughing. Everything about Delphine, from the way she speaks in class to the way she smokes a cigarette, has a sort of grace to it.

"You wanna sit?" Cosima suggests, motioning towards the bus's open door.

Delphine arches her neck, attempting to peer inside of it.

"Where is the driver?"

"Said he'd be back when the game was over," Cosima shrugs.

Delphine finishes her cigarette, flicking the butt to the ground. She stares at the brunette hesitantly, then stares at the open door, wondering how to proceed. The spectacled girl can almost see the gears turning in the blonde's head as she assesses the situation, trying to determine the level of trouble she'll find herself in if they're caught.

"Come on. We can talk more about our project if you want," Cosima insists.

"Maybe this is not such a good idea. We might get in trouble if we get caught unsupervised," Delphine replies, chewing on her lower lip again, undoubtedly a nervous habit.

"Oh, come on. Do you really wanna go back there and watch us get the shit-kicking of a life time?" the brunette asks with a lopsided grin.

This time, Delphine cannot contain her own smile.

"It really is quite painful to watch," she remarks.

"A whole lot of good your spirit bus did, eh?' Cosima jabs.

She watches the blonde slump.

"Hey, sorry! I was only kidding!" she defends.

Delphine offers her another smile and then saunters by her, stepping onto the bus. Cosima's initially shocked at the French girl's sudden defiance, but a pleased smirk returns to her face and she follows faithfully behind. Delphine heads to the very back of the bus, sliding into one of the rows, waiting for Cosima to join her. The brunette eventually does, taking a seat next to her, still taking the occasional drag from her joint.

"You're a very joking person, aren't you?" the blonde asks.

Cosima arches a brow, her tongue poking out from behind her teeth as it usually does when she's in a playful mood. She holds out the joint to her lab partner and Delphine takes it from her fingers, holding it up and inspecting it before eventually bringing it to her own lips and taking a drag.

"A "joking" person?" Cosima teases.

Delphine immediately realizes how foolish she sounds and she erupts into a fit of laughter, quickly joined by Cosima. After another toke, she hands the joint back to Cosima, who snuffs it out on the back of the seat.

"I can't think of the proper English word," she admits.

"Hm. Well, my dad always calls me cheeky," Cosima offers.

"_Oui! _Cheeky! Cheeky is the perfect word!"

Cosima chuckles again, then lifts her hands high above her head, stretching languidly. She lets out a loud groan as she does so, reveling in the feeling of her muscles stretching. The act causes her shirt to rise slightly, leaving her stomach exposed, something the blonde discreetly takes note of.

"You're always laughing and smiling. I always see you joking with your friends," Delphine says, leaning back in her seat.

"You do?"

Delphine's confession shocks her. She always assumed she was but a blip on the blonde's radar, hardly important enough to warrant any sort of inspection. She figured that Delphine never took any notice of her at all outside of Biology. When she thinks about Delphine observing her from a safe distance, she smiles coyly.

"How come you never joke with me, Cosima?"

Her voice is a low whisper, almost deadly in its seriousness. Even still, there is a sweetness to her tone and when the brunette meets her gaze, the intensity that flickers in the opposing chestnut orbs sends a jolt up her spine.

"W-What?"

Delphine leans in a little closer.

"You always seem to get so quiet when I speak, but you're so lively with other people. Do... do I make you uncomfortable?" she asks, her brow furrowing.

Despite the marijuana, she feels the ice return to her veins and she panics.

"What? No! Not at all!"

"Do you... not like me, then?"

The blonde's bottom lip begins to tremble, her eyes begin to glimmer. The ice becomes liquid nitrogen; she can't stand to see girls cry, let alone _Delphine_. She looks so defeated, a la Bambi and the hunter.

She can't help herself.

Confessions begin to slip.

"No! That's not the case at all! I like you a lot, actually!"

The French girl's trembling lip immediately steadies, the threat of tears slowly dissipating. Her expression changes from one of pain and sadness to one of hopeful curiosity.

"You do?" she inquires.

"Yeah! Like, I totally like you!" Cosima exclaims, her hands waving around frantically.

Delphine smiles, reaching for one of the brunette's hands. She grasps it gently, studying it with her own. She pulls Cosima closer to her and the spectacled girl feels that familiar lump begin to form in her throat again.

"I like you, too, Cosima," she confesses.

"R-Really?" she asks, stunned.

Delphine shifts closer so that she is pressed up to Cosima's side, the contact melting the stiffness in her body. She rests her head against Cosima's shoulder and releases a contented sigh.

"I think that you may be the smartest, sweetest person in this entire school."

It's the most genuine compliment she's ever received and it turns her cheeks a new shade of red.

"I don't know if that's true," she mutters.

"It is."

Cosima smiles, resting her chin atop Delphine's head. It's a closeness they've never shared before, but she's feeling strangely confident with the string of confessions that are slowly unraveling.

"When Mr. Roberts said that we were to be lab partners... I was nervous."

"What? Why?" she laughs.

"You're so smart, I always feel like a fool whenever you speak in class."

"Yeah. Ditto," Cosima replies with a grin.

"I guess we've both been foolish, then."

Cosima looks down at the blonde, who tilts her head up to meet her gaze. Her eyes drift from Delphine's down to her lips, then back to her eyes again, fluttering between the two, unable to settle on a destination. She recognizes the haziness in the French girl's eyes as the same that has settled in her own.

"What would your friends say if they saw us like this?" she whispers.

"Friends?"

She acts as though Cosima is speaking a completely foreign language and her voice is enough to send a fissure right through Cosima's heart. It had never once dawned on her for a second that Delphine, the prettiest, smartest girl in school could feel just as lonely as she does. She maintains her fixed gaze with the blonde, who slowly lets her eyes drift shut and leans forward, pressing her lips to Cosima's. Before the brunette has time to properly respond to the kiss, Delphine pulls away again, staring up at her through long lashes and glossy eyes.

"_C'est bien_?" she asks shyly.

Cosima mumbles in incoherent agreement before leaning in once again, meeting Delphine's waiting lips. It's a sweet kiss, firm yet tender, and she finds herself sighing into the blonde's mouth as Delphine's hand reaches, caressing the side of her face, gently stroking her cheek. This isn't her first kiss, but all preceding ones have been hurried and sloppy; there was Dan in the ninth grade who damn near shoved his tongue down her throat at her first and last tailgating party, then there was Christine who'd been so inebriated, after a few brief moments of making out she had to break away from the kiss to vomit down the front of her top, abruptly ending the encounter. Delphine's lips aren't clumsy, her tongue isn't presumptuous. She tests the waters with tiny nips, gently sucking on Cosima's bottom lip, eliciting tiny moans from the depths of the brunette's chest. When Cosima eventually feels the blonde's tongue tease and beg for entry, she obliges and loses herself to the sensation.

She feels Delphine begin to shift and quickly realizes that the blonde is attempting to find a more advantageous position, so her hands find Delphine's hips and help her until her French classmate is straddling her lap.

"Is this better?" Delphine asks.

Cosima nods, then silences her with lips once again. Her hands trace patterns against Delphine's lower back, deftly slipping beneath the hem of her sweater in her pursuit for skin. She keeps it chaste, resisting the temptation to sink lower to her lab partner's ass. She allows Delphine to set the pace, because for all her willingness, she can still feel a tinge of uncertainty, most likely brought upon by her inexperience with women.

When they part for air, Cosima's lips immediately go to the French girl's throat, showering it with kisses and nips. She can hear the blonde attempt to stifle her whimpers, although she's not very successful. Instead, her hands dig into the brunette's hair, holding her head in position, encouraging her adulation.

"You feel so good," Delphine moans.

"You, too," Cosima huffs against her throat. "I knew you would."

Her words draw a smile from the blonde, who reclaims a hand from Cosima's hair, instead placing it on the quirky girl's chest to gently nudge her backwards until she's sitting straight, her back pressed against uncomfortable leather.

"You knew?" she pries, locking eyes with Cosima.

The brunette licks her lips and nods, trying to steady her laboured breathing. Delphine is reaching for the zipper of her sweater, slowly pulling it down until the garment is open. She watches its entire descent through hooded lids.

"Totally."

Delphine's smirk becomes wider as she shimmies out of the sweater, discarding it on the floor of the bus. Her white tank top clings to her body, her black lace bra far too apparent underneath, leaving very little to the imagination. She reaches for the hem of the tank top, but before she removes it, she pauses. Cosima finds her gaze once again, waiting for the European to continue. Instead, she leaves the geek dangling.

"How long?"

She finally realizes that the usually meek and modest blonde is far more wicked than she could have imagined. Her hands linger on the hem of her top, teasing, waiting for Cosima's response, unwilling to reward her until she gets her answer.

"From the second I saw you."

She reckons her response is the right one because in a flash, the top is pulled over Delphine's head and thrown somewhere behind her. She groans at the sight of newly exposed skin and her hands leave Delphine's hips, traveling up her torso, pausing beneath her covered breasts. She can feel a steady throbbing between her legs and she gazes up at the girl straddling her, eyes begging for permission. When she feels Delphine tug her hands away, she wants to whine at the rejection, but the blonde is reaching for the hem of her own shirt before she has time to do so. Cosima leans forward, allowing Delphine to pull the article over her head, leaving both girls topless.

"_Tu es belle_," Delphine whispers in her ear, her hands beginning their exploration.

Cosima leans back, her eyes slamming shut as she allows the blonde to explore her body. She runs her hands over toned biceps, a jutting collarbone, along her ticklish sides that cause the brunette's stomach to tense. Delphine is familiarizing herself with the field, learning the rules of the game. She's a quick study.

When Cosima can take no more of Delphine's torturous pace, she leans forward, sandwiching Delphine against herself and the back of the seat in front of them. Her hands cup the slender girl's breasts through the fabric of her bra and she hears the French girl's breath hitch as she arches into the touch. She's testing boundaries now, seeing how far the blonde is willing to go, and when Delphine doesn't stop her, she slowly undoes the magnetic clasp at the front of her bra, watching the garment fall open and supple flesh spill out. As she takes a nipple in her mouth, her eyes find Delphine's who are staring down at her through dilated pupils, her lips parted.

"Cosima," she whispers breathlessly.

She closes her eyes and succumbs to the sensation of a warm mouth and skillful tongue enveloping her nipple. Her hands find the back of the brunette's head and pull her closer into her chest as her hips buck involuntarily. This instinctual reaction is enough to solidify Cosima's resolve and she reaches for the zipper of the blonde's pants, pulling it down. As soon as Delphine feels her pants begin to loosen, she looks down at Cosima, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Are you sure?" the brunette asks, halting her movements.

Delphine takes a moment to consider her before nodding. She climbs off of Cosima's lap so she can slip out of her pants before finding her place once again straddling the brunette's lap. The geek can feel her entire body begin to tremble with anticipation, her skin flare on contact. Even in her many fantasies of herself and the blonde alone in the Bio lab, Delphine's body was never quite this perfect, her skin never quite so smooth, her touch never so effective. She tries to maintain her newfound confidence as she feels Delphine reach for her own jeans, helping her shimmy out of them. Never in a thousand years would she ever have thought that she'd be sitting in the back of a short bus in her bra and panties with _Delphine fucking Cormier_ straddling her in nothing but her underwear, dragging her lips across the brunette's clavicle. She can feel her classmate's own desire slick against her stomach through the fabric of flimsy cotton and it's enough to send her eyes reeling back in her head. She reaches for Delphine's hips again, repositioning the blonde so that she is free to slip a leg between her thighs and they're both keening at the contact.

"More," Cosima expels, pushing herself up against the blonde.

Delphine obeys, grinding down against Cosima's thigh. Their movements are clumsy at first as they both try to feel out a rhythm, but they eventually discover a sense of fluidity as as they thrust in counterpoint to one another. She buries her face in Delphine's neck, teeth sinking into flesh as the blonde's hands grip her head tightly, both to steady herself and hold Cosima in position. As their pace quickens, so does the slickness between their legs, branding the tender flesh of each other's thighs. As she tastes Delphine's heart slamming hard through her jugular, she can hear her own exploding in her ears and she knows that it's too much for either of them to stand for much longer. The blonde whimpers and mewls like a kitten, French profanities the only words she can seem to conjure up. Cosima keeps her face buried in the softness of her classmate's neck and closes her eyes, focusing on the rhythm of their undulating hips, the thunder of their heartbeats, the blaze of her own desire quickly spreading from the juncture between her thighs to her belly, reaching higher and higher with every passing second. Her hands dig into Delphine's hips, helping to guide her movements, helping to angle her in the exact, precise way to achieve the friction they're both so desperate for.

_"Près...,_" Delphine utters through parted lips, her hands dropping to Cosima's back to sink her nails into olive-toned flesh.

Cosima takes this as encouragement and rewards with a heavy thrust once, twice, three times before she finally feels the blonde's entire body tense up and begin to convulse. Delphine goes completely silent for an instant before she releases a deep, throaty moan and throws her head back. The sound itself is enough to send Cosima the rest of the way over the edge as the blonde pulls her under into her own abyss of explosions and white-hot flames.

They cling to each other, their skin fused together in a combination of sweat and heat. Delphine cradles the brunette's head, pressing a kiss to the crown of it and Cosima smiles sheepishly as she allows herself to be held.

"Wow," is all she is able to muster.

Delphine hums in response as her breathing finally steadies itself. When her legs find their strength again, she slips off of Cosima and finds their discarded clothing on the floor, handing Cosima her pants and top as she dresses herself.

"What. No cuddles?" Cosima teases.

Delphine flashes her a grin from over her shoulder. She stalks over to Cosima, leaning down and responding with a slow, tantalizing kiss that has the brunette's body nearly quaking all over again.

"The game should be finishing soon," she explains.

"Oh. Oh, right. I guess that's true," Cosima replies, pulling her own jeans up her legs.

Once they're both dressed again, they stumble out of the vehicle hand-in-hand, grinning and giggling like foolish children. They can hear an eruption of sound from the football field, most likely indicating the end of the match and they're timing couldn't have been better.

"Well, well, well."

The familiar British accent reaches both sets of ears as they whip around to spot Sarah leaning against the side of the bus, a cocky smirk on her face. She's accompanied by Alison, another girl from their grade who is donning an expression of pure mortification.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Cosima asks, alarmed.

The last person she expected to see at a football game was Sarah, let alone in the company of Alison Hendrix.

"I-I-I wanted to come watch the game. Sarah wanted to check on you," Alison stammers, her eyes wide and face pale.

"Just wanted to see how your date was going. Pretty well, apparently."

The blush is immediate for the blonde, who nervously tucks a piece of hair behind her ear while sinking her teeth into her lower lip. She can't bring herself to meet Sarah's gaze.

"We... we were just talking about, uh, science," Cosima tries.

"Is that right?" Sarah asks again.

"Yep. Science."

"_O-Oui_. Science," Delphine chimes in.

"Well, I've never heard science like _that_ before. And in a _school bus_! People sit on those seats, you know!" Alison chides.

Sarah erupts into a fit of laughter once again.

"Okay, so it was, like, crazy science. Super mega crazy science. You know, the kind that makes a lot of noise?"

"Is it also the kind that flips your shirt inside out, genius?" Sarah retorts, tugging at the evidence.

She hadn't noticed until now that her top was, indeed, inside out. She opens her mouth to try yet another excuse but she quickly realizes how futile it is, so she closes it and begins to laugh at the hilarity of the entire situation. She looks over to Delphine who, despite covering her mouth with her hand in an attempt to conceal her smile, is unable to contain her own soft giggling which eventually grows into a more tumultuous uproar that matches Sarah and Cosima's, leaving Alison the odd girl out, arms folded across her chest.

"Seems like you got more spirit than I thought, yeah?" Sarah asks, swatting Cosima in the arm.

She unleashes a massive grin.

"Go Eagles."


	2. I Kissed A Girl (And I Liked It)

**Author's Note:** Here's the second instalment! I have this image in my head of a teenage Cosima with Manic Panic hair, who's sort of the quirky outcast of her high school. So, this chapter kind of stemmed from that idea. And I wanted to have some fun with drunk Delphine, so here you go.

* * *

Despite being only a freshmen, Felix Dawkins is illustrious for throwing some of the best parties their town has ever seen. His Halloween bash had been a drug and alcohol fueled pow wow that led to an entire street being shut down, overrun with intoxicated teenagers in ridiculous costumes. His birthday party had been even more extreme, with multiple arrests and property damage. So, when Alison Hendrix had invited a small handful of people over to her place for movies and charades, what with her parents being out of town for the weekend, the slender young man took perfect advantage of the opportunity, sending out a mass text inviting as many people as possible. Within an hour, the Hendrix residence was crawling with hormonal teenagers sipping from red solo cups, blaring music and flipping furniture upside down.

"She's gonna shit, you know," Sarah muses, taking a swig of beer.

She watches as two well-built guys remove all the fine china from a cabinet, then push it over. The plan, she overheard, is to use the cabinet as a canoe and ride down the stairs from the second floor to the first.

"Yeah. We should probably do something," Cosima replies, watching as they hoist it up the stairs.

"Yeah. Probably."

Neither girl moves a muscle as they watch the two idiots jump into the cabinet and attempt to ride it down the stairs, flying out of the oak confines and stumbling down, smacking their heads off every step on the way down. They land in a heap at the bottom of the stairs and the two girls smirk. Sarah lifts a foot, nudging one.

"He okay?" Cosima asks, trying to contain her laughter.

"Meh."

Bored, the two ladies move on to the kitchen, hoping to locate the hostess. Neither of them has seen Alison in over an hour and they aren't sure whether they should be worried or thankful.

"Oi! Party boy!" Sarah hollers, shoving Felix from behind.

The action startles him and he stumbles forward, knocking a chair over as he tries to steady himself. He's all smiles and giggles, presumably the result of his intoxication, and he wraps his arms around his foster sister's neck, showering the side of her face with sloppy kisses.

"Cut it out, why don't ya?" she snaps. "We're looking for Alison. She still alive?"

"She's passed out in the craft room," he answers through his laughter.

Sarah is cackling now, too. As the two siblings horse around with one another, Cosima wanders over to the counter, grabbing a bottle of rum and pouring it into her cup, mixing it with a splash of Coke. Her eyes rake over the room, surveying the damage; if Alison isn't dead now, she's bound to have a heart attack when she wakes up and sees the state of her house. Thank God they'll all be gone by the time that happens.

She hears a group of loud, masculine voices cheering from the living room and, intrigued, she decides to follow the noise. She wonders what it is that has a group of teenage boys so riled up, but she figures it must be something pretty stupid.

"Man, she's completely blitzed," she hears one guy laugh.

She arches up onto her tiptoes, trying to see over the crowd of guys huddled around something. Unable to see, she eventually shoves her way through to the front of the circle. Laying on the ground is Delphine Cormier, surrounded by a pile of broken wood.

"_Désolé," _she mumbles. "I-I... I think I fell."

Everyone in the room explodes in laughter as the inebriated blonde attempts to find her footing and pull herself off the floor. As she rises to her feet, she loses her balance once again and stumbles backwards, this time knocking over a lamp. Everyone is howling and cheering once again.

"Assholes," Cosima mumbles under her breath, stalking over to Delphine.

She reaches down, offering the girl a hand.

"Are you alright?" she asks.

Delphine looks up at her with large, doe eyes that are glossed over from drinking too much. She smiles meekly, accepting Cosima's hand and allowing the spectacled girl to pull her back onto her wobbly legs.

"_Merci_," she slurs. "You are... _tres gentil_."

"Do you need any help?"

Before Delphine can answer, she stumbles forward yet again, nearly pulling Cosima down with her. Cosima manages to steady her before either of them topple over and she glares at the group of guys who are still watching, laughing at the blonde's misfortune.

"I'm... _tres bien_."

It's Cosima's turn to laugh.

"I don't think you're _tres bien_ at all."

She walks Delphine into the hallway where things are a little quieter and helps her sit on the floor, her back pressed to the wall. She smiles down at her classmate sympathetically.

"I'll go get you some water. Just wait here."

Delphine nods, her head lulling forward and backward in an exaggerated manner before she rests it between her knees, trying to keep her world from spinning. Cosima quickly pushes through flocks of people on her way to the kitchen. She dumps the contents of her plastic cup into the sink and rinses it before filling it with water.

"Everything alright in there?" Sarah hollers at her.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. The new girl's just super drunk," she explains.

"The exchange student?"

"Yeah. She's French," Cosima replies.

"That hot little blonde one?" Felix chimes in.

"Yep," Cosima replies, turning the faucet off once the cup is full of water. "I think her name's Delphine something."

Felix begins making kissing noises while Sarah snickers, causing the quirky young girl to roll her eyes and exit the kitchen. Everyone at school is aware of her sexuality, with Sarah and Felix teasing her and the rest of the student population often insulting or ostracizing her because of it. She's not as effected by it as most other teens would be; she finds the topic of her sexuality has been far too played out.

When she returns to the spot where she left Delphine, the blonde is no longer there. She panics for a moment and whips her head around, trying to locate the drunk girl.

"Hey!" she shouts over the music and the noise. "Has anyone seen the new girl?"

A few people look over to her, confused, but no one acknowledges her question. Sighing angrily, she decides that it's up to her to find her classmate and she begins to search the entire house, from the living room to the dining room to the kitchen. After scanning the entire first floor, she steps over the two idiots at the bottom of the stairs, hopping over the broken cabinet and making her way up them.

"Where the hell did you go?" she mumbles.

The girl is far too drunk to be wandering off on her own, she must have had help. The bathroom door is closed and she turns to the massive line beginning to form.

"You guys see a drunk blonde girl go in?" she asks.

"Nah, man. Just Michelle. She's hammered, dude. Probably passed out driving the porcelain bus," a red-headed boy tells her.

She nods and thanks him, continuing with her search. She sees that Alison's door is closed, as well, but the light inside her room is on. Confused, she heads over to the door and grips the knob, pushing it open.

"Jesus, man. Give us some privacy," a boy calls out.

"Shit. Sor-"

She's about to turn around and slam the door behind her when a familiar mess of curls catches her eyes. She steps into the room even further and discovers that her runaway exchange student is pressed beneath the irritated boy, her shirt halfway open.

"Oh. _Bonjour_!" she slurs, attempting to wave at Cosima from beneath the weight of the muscular young man.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Cosima snaps.

"Just close the door and scram," he barks at her again.

She's furious now, flying over to the bed and pushing him off Delphine. He's a lot heavier than she anticipates and she only manages to nudge him slightly. He bats her away with the swing of an arm, pushing her into Alison's dresser.

"She's wasted, you creep!" she shouts. "Get the hell off her!"

"Mind your own business, you dyke," he throws back.

She's used to the insults, they don't really bother her, but the sight of a helpless Delphine beneath him is enough to send her blood boiling. She grabs Alison's piggy bank off the top of her dresser and charges at him, smashing it over his head. Her yelps in pain, rolling off Delphine and clutching his head.

"Crazy bitch!" he shouts.

Cosima ignores him, slinging one of Delphine's arms over her neck and pulling her into a sitting position.

"So much noise," she sighs, burying her face in Cosima's neck.

Cosima helps her to her feet and is walking her out of the room, past the group of people who have gathered outside the door. They're all staring, concerned, but they make way for Cosima and the unsteady blonde.

"What the hell's going on?" Sarah asks from the bottom of the stairs.

"Will you help me with her?" Cosima calls down.

Sarah nods, dodging bodies and planks of wood on her quest to reach Cosima. She slings Delphine's other arm over her neck and the two slowly help her down the stairs.

"She's shit-faced, Sarah," Cosima tells her.

"You don't say?"

"I think I'm gonna take her home."

They reach the bottom of the stairs and the spectacled girl gently interrogates the blonde, attempting to find out where she lives. After a few minutes of questioning, she isn't able to get any useful information out of her, only a string of French words she's unable to translate and a fit of drunken hiccups and giggles.

"What are you gonna do?" Sarah asks.

"I guess I'll just take her to my place and let her sleep it off. My mom's out of town and my dad sleeps like a rock, so it shouldn't be a problem."

She whips out her cellphone and calls them a cab while the blonde hangs off of her, all long limbs and breathy sighs. She presses her lips against Cosima's ear, sending a tremor through the smaller girl's body.

"You smell good," she mumbles.

Cosima squirms, trying to ignore the electricity racing under her skin. Delphine is tall and blonde and French and _absolutely gorgeous_, but she's also incredibly drunk, so Cosima tries to push her hazy thoughts aside.

"Come on. You're drunk," Cosima says with a nervous laugh, trying to play off her inner turmoil.

"_Oui_. But you are...," she begins, nuzzling her face into the side of Cosima's. "Sooo soft."

She tells herself that it's the liquor talking, that if Delphine was sober, she would never be whispering these words in her ear. She tells herself these things, but as Delphine pulls herself a little closer and she feels the willowy blonde meld into her side, her eyes dip to the girl's chest, the first few buttons of her shirt still undone from her encounter with the creep in Alison's bedroom. She takes note of her classmate's strappy bra and marble skin and feels her throat begin to swell. She should avert her eyes; she isn't one of the obnoxious teenage boys who was hollering at the blonde earlier, she isn't a perverted creep like the young man who will be sporting a goose egg on his head tomorrow. It shouldn't be so hard for her to respect the young woman who is clinging to her body for stability, but as she licks her lips and prays for the cab to show up and rescue her, she can't take her eyes or her thoughts away from the expanse of skin.

"Cab's here," Sarah tells her, smirking as she watches the blonde drape herself over the smaller girl.

It takes her far too long to get the French girl down the steps and to the car, but once she does, Delphine is fairly cooperative. She leans her head against the coolness of the window and closes her eyes as Cosima slips in next to her and dictates her address to the driver.

"You still with me?" she asks.

Delphine barely manages a lazy nod.

"_Oui_. I think I need... _lit_."

"_Lit_?" Cosima asks. "Oh! Bed, right?"

Delphine nods again.

"Okay. Well, you can crash in my bed tonight. We're almost there."

It's only a ten minute drive to her house from Alison's and she's thankful for the short distance because the blonde begins to dry heave, the threat of vomit becoming far too real. She prays Delphine can hold on long enough, because she doesn't want to have to try and carry the blonde the rest of the way. It's different with Sarah, who has puked in a cab on more than one occasion; Sarah is the same size, Sarah is easy to lift, but Delphine nearly dwarfs her and she doesn't know how she'll be able to carry the lanky exchange student. Thankfully, they manage to pull in front of Cosima's house before the girl can sully the cab and Cosima shoves a few bills into the drivers hand before helping Delphine out.

"You okay?" she asks once again.

Delphine nods as Cosima walks her across the lawn, but before they reach the porch, she lurches forward and empties the contents of her stomach. Cosima sighs deeply, rubbing the blonde's back in a soothing manner as she waits for her to finish. Once she's done, she leads her the rest of the way, up the porch and to the front door. She digs her keys out of her pocket and unlocks the door, pausing to listen for any signs of life. She can hear the television on in the living room and she initially panics, thinking her dad is awake and she's seconds away from being busted. However, when the sound of loud snoring finally reaches her ears, she exhales a sigh of relief.

"Okay. This way. Try to be quiet."

She leads the giggling blonde up the stairs, Delphine only tripping a couple of times. Every time, Cosima manages to grab hold of her before she can slide down and hurt herself. It takes far too much time and effort, but she eventually gets her classmate into her bedroom and closes the door soundly behind them. As soon as they're safe behind the door, she turns and watches Delphine who is clumsily trying to pull her top off.

"What are you doing?" Cosima asks.

The other girl doesn't answer, finally succeeding in removing her top completely. Cosima immediately feels a blush rise to her cheeks and she averts her gaze, resisting the temptation to peak. She's staring squarely at the floor, trying to give Delphine some privacy, but the sound of a slam jolts her attention back to her new friend. While trying to peel her jeans off, the blonde had lost her footing and was now in a heap on the floor.

"H-Here. Let me help," Cosima suggests.

Delphine grabs onto the edge of the bed for support, pulling herself up. She flops onto the mattress as Cosima grabs the bottoms of her jeans, swallowing hard as she gives them a fluid tug, removing them and leaving the French student in her undergarments.

"I have some clothes you can sleep in," she says, her eyes still lingering on the blonde's toned stomach.

Delphine shakes her head, mumbling something in French before slipping under the covers. Cosima sighs yet again, deciding to finally give up. It was too exhausting trying to goad her and take care of her, so she let Delphine finally drift off into a drunken slumber.

"You know," she says, removing her own clothes and reaching for her pajamas. "It's been a long time since I've had a half-naked drunk girl in my bed. At least I got some for all of my trouble last time."

The joke is more for her own ears, as the sleeping blonde is unable to register her words, but she smiles anyway and slides into bed next to Delphine. She's careful not to touch the blonde, to give her as much space and privacy, given the situation. She remains curled in an almost fetal position on the very opposite edge of the bed, that is until she feels an arm slide around her waist and draw her in.

"Hey. Hey, come on. Don't do that," she says, her nervous laughter returning.

Delphine is out of it, mumbling nonsensical words as her grip on the shorter girl tightens. Finally, Cosima feels her back flush against Delphine's front, the little spoon to the blonde's big one.

"So, you're a cuddler?" she asks.

"Soft," Delphine sighs, her head nestled in Cosima's neck. "Warm."

She knows she should try to Houdini her way out of Delphine's grasp, that the blonde is still too drunk and unconscious to know what she's really doing. Besides, Delphine is right; it is soft and warm and far too inviting.

"I guess a little cuddling never killed anyone, huh?" she asks.

But Delphine is fast asleep again. She smiles, allowing herself to follow the rise and fall of Delphine's chest, letting the sound of her breathing and steady heart beat lull her into her own slumber.

* * *

She awakens to a jackhammer sounding off inside her skull, eliciting a groan from her mouth. Finally opening her eyes, she sits up in the bed and blinks at the light shining through the window and painfully waits for her eyes to adjust. As soon as they do, they scan across the room, searching for some semblance of familiarity and finding none. Her mouth is bone dry and her lips are chapped, her stomach is moaning and her body aches.

"I bet you're feeling a bit like a train wreck right about now, huh?"

The voice startles her, causing her to jerk. She whips her head around to acknowledge the speaker and finds a grinning girl, one hand holding a glass of water and the other a bottle of aspirin.

"For you," she says, holding them out. "I thought you might need them."

"_Oui_. _Merci_," she utters, accepting them.

She ignores the fact that she is in an unknown bed in an unknown room with an unknown girl, instead unscrewing the cap off the bottle and placing a couple of pills on her tongue, followed by a large gulp of water. She's desperate to make the screeching and spinning in her head stop.

"You usually get plastered and destroy furniture?" the girl asks with a tiny giggle, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"_Non_. I don't normally drink so much," she answers, setting the now empty glass and bottle of pills on the nightstand. "Only wine with dinner."

Since crossing the Atlantic, she's found herself in a number of unfamiliar situations. Back in France, she was never one to attend parties, instead opting to stay home and study or read a good book. Then again, back in France, she had loads of friends and family and things to keep her occupied.

"I... I wanted to make friends," she says, attempting to justify her folly. "I thought the party would be a good idea. It's been difficult."

"Yeah, I know that feeling."

The corners of her lips upturn in a smile. She doesn't know why she's divulging all of this information to a complete stranger, but she feels as if she can trust the curious young woman who's been sympathetic enough to assist in treating her hangover.

"Where am I?" she finally asks.

"The Ritz Carlton."

She flashes the other girl a look of bemusement, trying to discern the meaning in her unfamiliar words.

"I-It's a joke. You're at my place. I wanted to take you home last night, but you couldn't exactly remember where you lived, so I just brought you here instead."

She nods in understanding. Now that her severe case of cotton mouth is gone and the incessant beating in her head is a little less explosive, she finds herself actually able to focus on her savior; she's a girl of roughly the same age, with a mess of hair dyed purple and nose ring, a pair of cat-eyed glasses, and a smile more luminescent than any she's ever seen before.

"You..."

She realizes she's seen the girl before. She can hardly remember any details from the preceding night, but she recognizes the hair and the nose ring and especially _that smile_. She's seen her in the halls of their high school, although they've never spoken a word to each other.

"It's Cosima," she says. "Don't think I ever actually introduced myself."

As soon as she hears the girl's name, she feels a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She's heard that name whispered around the halls, spoken from many different pairs of lips. Some say she's a genius and a know-it-all, others say she's a total geek, and then there are some- mostly the boys- who speak of other things.

**"She's kind of a freak, but those girls always turn out to be the wild ones in bed."**

**"Totally, man. Brain or not, she's pretty hot."**

**"It's too bad she plays for the other team."**

**"It's a fucking sin."**

"I know who you are," she says hesitantly.

"Oh. Well, guess that makes two of us."

"_Pardon_?"

"You're the French exchange student. Your name's Delphine, right?"

"_Oui_."

"Well, Delphine," she grins, extending a hand. "It's nice to meet you. Officially."

Delphine stares at her hand, considering, before finally reaching to accept it. Cosima's hand is soft, but her grip is steady and unwavering. She can vaguely remember those hands gripping her tightly, steadying her, as she stumbled around like a fool. The night is still very much a haze to her, but that much she remembers.

"How much did I drink?" she groans.

"Well, I didn't actually witness your downfall until the very end, but I'm assuming it was quite a lot."

Delphine nods, closing her eyes as she tries to piece together more details. She remembers arriving at Alison's house already fairly drunk; she was drinking with the girl who was hosting her and some of her friends before they headed out. She remembers a boy handing her a red cup as soon as she walked in the door, then making multiple rounds to refill it as people buzzed around her. She had a tendency to get nervous in large groups of unfamiliar people, hence the excess of drinking. She looks down at herself, realizing that she's in nothing but her bra and underwear. She feels her heart sink into her kneecaps and she pulls the bedsheets up to cover her chest.

"Umm... last night... did I... did we...?"

Cosima cocks her head, then realizes what the blonde is implying. She immediately begins to feel her own panic settle in.

"Huh? Oh! No, no, no, no! Nothing happened, I swear!" she answers, flailing her hands about. "You stripped most of your clothes off when you crawled into my bed."

If she didn't feel like such a fool, she would have laughed watching her new purple-haired friend stumble over her words. There was something very endearing about her enthusiasm and sincerity. She had not seen it in many people since she had come to North America.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes.

"It's okay. Nothing to be sorry for," Cosima shrugs.

"I must have ruined your night, forcing you to take care of me."

"Nah. It was a pretty lame party anyway. I probably would have just left on my own, can't really stand most of the people there. At least now I can say I made a new friend, huh?"

"_Oui_. Me, too."

They exchange smiles and one of Cosima's talking hands comes to rest down on the bed, accidentally settling on top of Delphine's. Both girls hesitate, Cosima searching the blonde's expression for her response. She's staring down at Cosima's hand on top of hers, lingering for a moment before pulling hers away.

"People... people talk about you, Cosima," she says.

"I bet they do," the eccentric girl mumbles, standing up and walking over to her closet.

Delphine takes note of her shift in demeanor as the shorter girl flips through some of her outfits, undoubtedly to distract herself. The blonde immediately feels guilty, but she can't help herself. Rumors spread so quickly and she's fascinated by the girl in front of her. She has to know if there's any sort of truth to the words.

"They say you're... _digue_," she explains, unable to remember the English word.

"Huh?"

Cosima turns to face her, blinking at her a couple of times, trying to translate. She rakes her mind for possible solutions when, suddenly, the answer clicks.

"Ohhhh. You mean a lady lover?"

Delphine nods.

Cosima laughs.

"So... is it true?"

"Is what true?" Cosima asks, abandoning her clothes and approaching the bed.

"That you're a "lady lover," as you say."

"Oh. Well, yeah."

There's a thin layer of silence that descends upon both girls. Cosima is cautious, waiting for the blonde's response. Delphine considers Cosima's answer. She's never known any gay people personally; there were a couple of gay boys in her grade back home, but they were no more than her acquaintances. It is something she's never considered before.

"What's it like?" she finally asks.

Perhaps it's an inappropriate question, but her scientific curiosity gets the better of her.

"Being gay?" Cosima asks, thrown off guard by the question.

"_Oui_."

She stops for a second, then offers the French girl a smile.

"What's it like being straight?"

Delphine's brow furrows. She had never really asked herself that question before. Heterosexuality was the assumed norm and people never bothered to question normal things. She wonders why that is.

"Oh. Um, it's fine, I guess," she replies, unsure of how to really answer.

"There's your answer."

The witty girl elicits a smile. This is the first conversation she's ever had with Cosima (that she can remember), and already she finds her far more interesting than any of the other boys or girls at that ridiculous party. She sits up a little straighter in Cosima's bed, forgetting about covering herself from the shorter girl's gaze. It doesn't seem so important now.

"It's not like I have all that much experience," Cosima says, taking a seat on the edge of the bed once again. "I've only been with a couple of girls, you know."

"Oh?"

Her answer catches Delphine off guard. Cosima carries herself with such confidence, she assumed the shorter girl would have been with many women. God knows the boys at school liked to talk, always gossiping about all the girls she hung around; there was the British girl with a bad attitude, the girl whose house was destroyed at the party, and the quiet blonde one who always had such an intense look in her eyes, just to name a few.

"Well, yeah. As you may have noticed, our school is in short supply of lesbians and most girls who are even remotely queer are too afraid to admit it. It's bad for the reputation, or so I've been told."

"I see."

She slides out of Cosima's bed, collecting her discarded clothing off the floor. Cosima is kind enough to look the other way as she dresses herself and she smiles, pulling her pants back on and buttoning up her now-wrinkled top.

"Thank you for taking care of me last night," she says softly, finishing with the last button.

"No sweat. I was just doing the right thing," Cosima replies with a half-grin.

"Perhaps. But I think not so many people would have done the same," the blonde muses.

"Yeah, well most people are complete assholes. Especially at our school."

Delphine hums in response as Cosima finally turns around to face her now fully-dressed classmate, although she maintains the distance between them, leaning against her desk and watching as Delphine checks her disheveled appearance in the mirror.

"You look fine. Don't worry," she offers.

"I guess "fine" must mean something very different in English than it does in French."

The shorter girl merely smiles and continues to watch her guest intently.

"Are teenage boys as big of douchebags back in France?"

"_Oui_."

"Really?"

"Teenage boys are teenage boys. They're the same everywhere, I think."

"Yeah, that's probably true."

They both giggle. The blonde can't remember the last time she's had such an easy conversation with someone and she certainly didn't expect to find such company in someone like Cosima, who was seemingly the complete opposite of her. She abandons the mirror and sits on the edge of the bed, pulling her boots back on.

"Although, there are not many girls like you in France," she admits.

"What? Lesbians?" Cosima asks, slowing stepping closer until she is standing in front of the preoccupied blonde.

"No. Not lesbians," Delphine says with a small laugh. "I mean... the nose ring, the crazy hair. It isn't very common back home."

"Really?"

It wasn't entirely common here, either, but every school has their group of rebels with multi-coloured hair and piercings. Cosima wouldn't exactly classify herself as a rebel, that was more Sarah and Felix's style, but she definitely didn't fit in with the mainstream crowd at their high school. Academically, she was at the top of her class, which one might assume would slot her into the nerd tier, although her personality didn't quite reflect that. She mostly floated in a category that was entirely of her own, shifting back and forth between different groups of friends.

"I think that... someone like you is uncommon anywhere."

She can't say that she's ever met someone like Cosima, who carries herself with such easiness and certainty, who thinks in such a unique way, who is capable of speaking a mile a minute and erasing tension with a single smile.

"Are you calling me a freak?" she asks with a smirk.

"No, no! Not at all! I meant...," the blonde stumbles over her words.

She shoots up, standing directly in front of Cosima who is staring up at her with a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. As Delphine opens her mouth to attempt to justify the meaning of her words, the words remain trapped in her throat under Cosima's gaze. She quickly closes her mouth again, then sighs.

"_Merde_, I'm sorry."

Cosima laughs, reaching forward to place a hand on Delphine's bicep.

"Hey, I'm just messing with you," she says softly.

Like before, when Cosima had settled her hand atop Delphine's, both of them pause and stare at the place where their bodies connect, as if a strange flow of energy is suddenly being transmitted through their skin. Goosebumps rise on the exchange student's flesh she shivers ever-so-slightly as Cosima watches closely, mystified.

"I should probably go," Delphine whispers.

Cosima nods, withdrawing her hand and taking a couple of steps away, giving the European some space.

"Yeah. Right. It's, like, 2:00pm. Someone must be wondering where you are, huh?"

Delphine smiles, running a hand through her wild mess of hair. She chews on her bottom lip, staring at her feet, wondering how to proceed. Despite being fully dressed now, she feels almost naked under Cosima's eyes.

"It was... nice to meet you Cosima," she finally manages. "I'll see you at school?"

"Totally," the purple-haired girl replies, nodding eagerly with a megawatt grin.

She finally meets Cosima's gaze again and what she does next surprises the both of them. She doesn't know what compels her to do it, but with her easy words and flashy smile, something about the shorter girl pulls her forward. Her feet stop shifting nervously in place as they take a couple of steps forward to close the distance between the two. Cosima is looking up at her with wide eyes from behind her frames and Delphine absently licks her lips before leaning forward, pressing her lips to Cosima's.

It's a chaste kiss, a simple brushing of the lips more full of curiosity than passion, but they both linger for what feels like a long while. Cosima's eyes instinctively close as she kisses back, but her surprise has not subsided even as Delphine sighs into her lips. She feels the blonde's hand rise to gingerly brush the backs of her fingers against her cheek and she groans softly at the sensation. The sound must reach Delphine's ears, as well, because she immediately withdraws, as if she finally realizes what she is doing.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes, her face blushing red.

"N-No worries. It's fine. Totally fine. More than fine. Like, super fucking fine," she mumbles, still dazed from the lip lock.

Delphine giggles.

"I just wanted to do that," she explains.

"Hey, do what you want, that's what I always say."

Delphine nods, her teeth sinking into her lower lip, once again.

"I really should go, though. I have a paper to finish for Monday."

Cosima swallows her slew of words, nodding.

"Okay."

With a final goodbye, Delphine exits the bedroom with a coy smile. Cosima waits until the door is securely closed behind the blonde before she flops backwards onto the bed and releases a long sigh. It was definitely not how she had expected things to go when Alison had invited her over to watch Pretty Woman, or when she was helping the drunk exchange student into the cab and damn-near dragging her up her stairs.

Definitely not what she expected.

For the first time in her life, she feels herself actually excited for Monday.


	3. This Heart of Mine

**Author's Note: **I've been stuck at home with this stupid cold, so to pass the time, I decided to re-watch the entire Alien series... which, of course, inspired me to write this next piece. Just some good old smutty fun. Enjoy :)

* * *

The sound of a high-pitched, ear-splitting shriek drowns out the rumbling of the home theatre system for a brief moment as the mortified blonde shoves her face into the shorter girl's neck, clutching herself to her body like a newborn kitten to its mother, attempting to shut out the source of her trauma. The brunette does her best to stifle her laughter, but as the blonde's grip grows even tighter and tiny, smothered mewls escape her lips, she finally caves and allows her chest to erupt with boisterous chuckles.

"What's wrong?" she asks through her thick bout of laughter, already knowing the answer.

Delphine buries her head a little deeper into the crook of her neck, trying to suppress her whimpers. When Cosima's laughter builds up again, the blonde exhales almost angrily and finally lifts her head from its fleshy refuge, careful to keep her eyes fixated on the grinning girl's face rather than the large screen.

"Do you honestly have to ask me that question?" she asks harshly.

Cosima bites down on her lower lip, trying again to stifle her laughter as she takes in the other girl's appearance; her eyes are wide with horror, cheeks flushed and lips parted in surprise. When Delphine notices that Cosima's chest is still spasming from her bubbling laughter, her brow furrows and lips pout.

"That... that _thing_ just burst out of his chest, Cosima!" she exclaims, throwing her arms up to indicate her shock and disgust.

"I know, right? It's pretty rad, huh?"

She digs her nails into the flesh of the brunette's forearm and Cosima's laughter is immediately replaced by wincing and monosyllabic utterances of protest as she tries to reclaim her arm from the French girl's talons.

"Not "rad." _C'est horrible_."

Cosima is finally able to free herself and she absently rubs her arm as the white crescent moon-shaped marks begin to sting and burn. Despite the pain, a grin spreads across her face, tongue poking out from behind her teeth like a secret too big to conceal.

"Oh, come on! " she says in jest, nudging Delphine's shoulder with her head. "Alien is a classic! I can't believe you've never seen it before. It's, like, a sci-fi must see. And Sigourney Weaver? Totally Michelin rated."

The blonde shakes her head rapidly to display her discontent, then settles back into the brunette's body, resting her face against Cosima's chest while the latter wraps her arms around her companion's slender frame.

"Can we please just... do something else?" Delphine pleads.

"Seriously? We're just getting to the good part!" Cosima retorts, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"_Please_?"

Delphine is looking up at her with her characteristic puppy dog eyes, wide and pleading, and as much as the brunette loves aliens and suspense and Sigourney Weaver, she expels a long sigh, knowing there's no way she can possibly say no.

"Are you really that scared?"

"If I had known your idea of "the house to ourselves" meant watching a horrifying creature burst out of a man's chest cavity, I would have reconsidered your offer," the French girl remarks.

She had been lured over to her girlfriend's house with the promise of a parent-free night and a "killer surprise." Little did she know that the surprise the quirky young woman was planning included screening a series of her favourite films, starting with Alien, which Delphine had never seen. She didn't really have any interest in watching films, but Cosima seemed to light up at the prospect of sharing a piece of herself and it was hard to talk the brunette out of something once her mind was set. So, she quietly endured, snuggled up to Cosima's body as she watched a crew slowly unravel the mystery of some sort of alien species until things took a gruesome turn for the worst.

"Fine," Cosima finally relents, grabbing the remote and flicking the television off.

Delphine immediately perks up, smiling as she presses a kiss to the corner of Cosima's lips in an attempt to cheer up her moping girlfriend.

"Wanna play a game instead?" Cosima offers. "I could slaughter you in Mario Kart while we wait for the pizza."

Delphine slumps again, her pout returning.

"You're such a poor sport," Cosima chuckles, slowly maneuvering herself out from under Delphine's body and off the couch, over to the chest next to the television.

She shuffles through the pile of chaos; game consoles with controllers and wires all tangled together, DVD and video game cases, action figures and Magic cards, until she finally finds the two controllers she's looking for.

"Games are supposed to be fun. I fail to see the fun in constantly losing to you," Delphine sulks, sitting up straight and crossing her legs, folding her arms across her chest to complete her image of the unimpressed girlfriend.

"All the more reason why you should practice," Cosima winks, tossing a controller at the blonde.

She barely catches it, fumbling with the plastic as Cosima plops down on the couch next to her. She presses her glasses up the bridge of her nose, waiting for the screen to load the game. Delphine can't help but take note of the brunette's focused demeanor. As the character select screen finally surfaces, Cosima wastes no time in selecting her character; Toad, because he reminds her of that time she did mushrooms in the park with Sarah and Felix, as she had previously disclosed. She waits patiently for Delphine to choose, but the cursor remains steady and blinking.

"What's wrong?" Cosima asks, turning to her.

"Cosima...," she begins, chewing on her lower lip.

"You should choose Peach. She's blonde and she's a princess. Totally like you," Cosima suggests.

Delphine stares at the screen for another minute, still undecided. She glances over to Cosima, who is busy customizing her vehicle, then glances down at her own controller. She smirks, setting the controller down on the empty space of the couch to her left. She then reaches for Cosima's controller.

"Hey!" Cosima protests.

Delphine gently tugs the controller from her hand, tossing it aside.

"Why don't we just..."

She grabs one of Cosima's now unoccupied hands, sliding it beneath her shirt. She guides it up, up, until it finally settles over her breast.

"Oh," Cosima exhales in a shaky breath, immediately forgetting about the game.

Delphine moves to straddle Cosima's lap as the brunette grips the supple flesh a little tighter, stroking and kneading through the fabric of her bra. She leans down, bringing her lips to Cosima's, brushing their noses together tenderly before she finally closes the distance between their mouths in a slow, tantalizing kiss.

"Okay. I fully support this decision," she mutters against Delphine's lips when they finally part for air.

"Hm. I thought you would," Delphine nods in agreement.

Cosima slips her free hand into the blonde's curls, gripping them tightly as she pulls her back down for another kiss. Delphine squirms in her lap, hips undulating as she traps Cosima's thigh between her own, her body shuddering at the much desired friction. Cosima, sensing the blonde's growing desperation, lowers her down onto the couch until the blonde finds herself on her back with the spectacled girl hovering over her.

Cosima withdraws her hand from beneath the blonde's blouse, busying it with the buttons instead. As soon as she has Delphine's shirt open, she trails a series of kisses from her navel up until she reaches the French girl's sensitive neck, adorning it with tiny bites and kisses in just the way she knows drives the taller girl wild. Delphine moans as Cosima pulls at flesh with her teeth, marking her.

"Feel free to veto any future decision I might make with sex," Cosima mumbles hot against her skin, her fingers reaching for the bare skin of Delphine's thigh.

"I'll keep that in mind," Delphine breathes, pulling Cosima's mouth to hers once again.

Her tongue traces the brunette's lower lip, teasing, stealing a long groan which she swallows eagerly. Cosima skims her hand up the length of the French girl's leg, slipping it beneath the hem of her skirt and never slowing. When she reaches the juncture between the blonde's legs, she emits a low, husky moan.

"Jesus, Delphine," she says, peeling her lips from the other girl's. "Are you trying to kill me?"

The blonde is wet.

Too wet.

She's dripping, coating the brunette's nimble fingers; her lack of underwear is at fault.

"When you said you had a surprise for me on the phone," Delphine whispers seductively against her lips. "I thought I'd give you a surprise of my own."

She runs her fingers through the blonde's folds, her eyes darkening with desire as she watches Delphine's lips part and eyes flutter at the sensation. Her nails bite into Cosima's shoulder blades and she captures her lover's smoldering gaze, holding it as Cosima slowly teases at her opening.

"Your surprise is _so_ much better than mine," she admits.

"Better than-"

Her breath hitches as Cosima slides a couple of fingers inside to the first knuckle, a ghost of what's to come.

"Better than Sigourney Weaver?" she finishes, nearly choking on her words.

Cosima smirks, withdrawing her digits for a moment only to insert them again more forcefully. Delphine expels a loud moan, her back arching almost painfully as she feels Cosima fill her to the hilt, her muscles clenching around the experimental fingers.

"Better than Sigourney," Cosima confirms, settling into an easy rhythm, watching the blonde contort and unravel. "Better than..."

She curls her fingers.

"Carrie Fisher in Return of the Jedi..."

Delphine's nails dig even deeper into Cosima's shoulder blades with the promise of scars as she bucks against her dancing fingers, biting down harshly on her lower lip to suppress her whimpers. As she watches the French girl's attempted restraint, she thinks this won't do, and so she reaches for one of Delphine's knees with her free hand, spreading her legs even wider. The blonde's eyes roll back and they both feel her restraint melt away with the new angle.

"Better than Eskimo pies on a hot summer day..."

"_Co-si-ma_," she moans.

It's both a plead and a warning.

"I need this" and "don't you dare deny me."

She shifts again, hoisting the taller girl's legs up over her shoulders and pressing against the back of her fervent hand with her thigh. The added pressure sends another spark up Delphine's spine and she releases another high-pitched shriek that tears through her chest like the creature in the film. Cosima expels a moan of her own; there's something about seeing the blonde so open and uninhibited that lights an inferno deep within her.

"You're so beautiful," she murmurs into Delphine's ear.

She knows it's cheesy and overly sentimental, but it's the only thing she can think to say. She remembers thinking it the very second she first lay eyes upon the blonde, from across the aisle of their AP Chemistry class. She never once thought she'd ever have the French student half-naked and writhing beneath her on her couch, but by some act of God, she'd managed to woo and win her over.

Delphine feels her body begin to swell with Cosima and she isn't sure where the spasming starts, but before long, every muscle in her body is contracting, pushing and pulling and leading her towards some sort of axis that her mind can't stop spinning around. As release tears through her, her mouth falls open as if to emit a slew of guttural noises, but nothing comes; she is silent and shuddering, wide-eyed and dewy, and as Cosima curls her fingers one last time, noise finds her again in the form of a muffled squeak as she buries her face into Cosima's neck.

When she's finished, she pulls Cosima down so that her entire body weight is resting on top of her. She cradles the brunette's head to her chest as she catches her breath, Cosima's cheek sticking to her slick skin. She passively strokes the spectacled girl's hair and takes a moment to enjoy their level of closeness. Cosima's fingers are still inside of her when they hear the doorbell ring and she whines when she feels her remove them.

"That'll be the pizza," Cosima remarks.

Her whine becomes louder as Cosima attempts to move out of her grasp. She pulls the brunette back down into her arms, grabbing the shorter girl's hand and bringing it to her lips to taste her own wetness on her fingers, ripping another moan from Cosima's throat. They're both able to forget about the pizza for a minute, until another series of ringing begins.

"I'll be back in a second," Cosima promises with a grin. "Besides. If I know you at all, you're probably starving. You're always hungry after you come."

Delphine blushes, then reluctantly releases her lover. Cosima rushes up the stairs, huffing all the way to the door. She swings it open and is met by a tall, gangly boy around her age with crooked teeth and a nervous leg.

"Oh. Hey, Scott," she greets.

"Hi, Cosima," he says almost too eagerly.

"Since when do you deliver pizza?" she asks.

"My parents said I have to start saving for college, so..."

Cosima nods, handing him a few bills.

"Did you finish those Calc questions yet?" he asks, accepting the money and handing her the pizza.

"Oh. No. I was gonna work on them tonight, but then my parents took off for the night and I sort of made other plans."

"We should work on them together," he suggests, giggling awkwardly. "I get off work in a couple of hours. I could come over if-"

"Cosima!" Delphine calls.

Scott immediately stops speaking, looking somewhat surprised.

"Hurry up and finish what you started!" she adds.

Cosima shrugs, flashing him a crooked grin.

"Like I said. Other plans."

"O-Okay. Well, maybe some other time, then."

"Maybe," she replies, slowly closing the door on him.

She doesn't mean to be rude, but with Delphine calling to her, she hardly has time for patience. As she descends down the stairs back into the basement, pizza in hand, she nearly drops the box when she finds the blonde, sans clothing, sprawled out on the couch.

"Whoa."

She smiles lazily at the brunette, beckoning for her to approach. Cosima obeys, placing the box on the floor as she saunters over to her girlfriend. Delphine reaches, catching her by the waistband of her harem pants and pulling her forward, Cosima nearly losing her footing in the process. She finds her balance again as Delphine continues to toy with her waistband, gently kissing the patch of exposed skin right above her navel and below the hem of her crop top. Both of her hands come to rest on Delphine's head, lovingly brushing away a few strands as the blonde continues to shower her stomach with affection. She closes her eyes and tilts her head back, allowing herself to enjoy the sensation of Delphine's teasing kisses, until she feels her girlfriend's fingers finally dip beneath her waistband.

"You know... you don't have to...," she begins.

They haven't been dating for very long and she knows that the blonde is still somewhat hesitant in many ways. Their first time together, she was too nervous to even allow Cosima to remove her bra and panties. In fact, the first few times consisted of Cosima bringing the French girl to climax and Delphine being too shy and unsure to reciprocate, unconfident in her own abilities with another girl. She's very much aware that in the half a semester they've been dating, Delphine has never once gone down on her. She doesn't mind all that much; she's more than happy to spend hours pleasing the willowy blonde and she would never want to force Delphine into a situation where she felt uncomfortable.

"I want to," Delphine answers, tugging the pants down Cosima's legs, along with her panties.

"Are you sure?" she asks skeptically.

Delphine nods against her stomach.

"_Oui_."

She steps out of the garments and Delphine presses a kiss to the soft patch of curls right above her center. She groans softly, her hands finding Delphine's head again, careful not to be too forceful. She toys with blonde tresses as Delphine slowly makes her way lower, finally pressing a kiss to where she's most needed.

"_Shit_, _Del_," she moans.

"What... would you like me to do?" the blonde asks, looking up at Cosima for guidance.

"I don't care. Anything," she whines, caressing the side of her face. "Just... keep touching me."

Delphine nods.

She forces Cosima's legs apart to give her better access, then experimentally drags her tongue through the accumulating wetness, Cosima's knees nearly buckling at the gesture. She takes it as a sign of encouragement and slowly begins to lap away, familiarizing herself with Cosima's taste. There were many times, especially after Cosima had finished with her, that she wanted to reciprocate, but every time she started moving south, she often found herself feeling overwhelmed by the prospect. There was something about going down on another woman that she found intimidating. Cosima had told her that it was normal, that everyone felt like that at first, that there was no rush and those feelings would eventually go away. As she tastes Cosima sweet on her tongue and hears her breathy sighs, all of her senses intensified, she feels her anxiety surrounding the entire deed float away.

She reaches forward and grabs Cosima by the knee. She nearly knocks the brunette off balance, but Cosima eventually interprets her intent, propping her leg up on the couch to give the blonde even more access. She buries her face in Cosima's sex, using the tip of her tongue to toy with her clit, just like Cosima had done so many times with her. She was a quick study, mentally taking notes every time Cosima would pleasure her with her mouth; she tried her best to emulate Cosima's technique, the way she would tease the nub in an almost torturous manner before finally taking it between her lips and sucking with just enough pressure to reduce the blonde to a pile of throaty moans and shaky limbs.

"Just like that," she hears Cosima sigh, her grip on her head becoming even tighter. "That's perfect... don't stop..."

She continues to swirl her tongue around the bundle of nerves, her hands gliding from Cosima's hips, reaching around to cup her ass and pull her even closer. She can feel the brunette's body quivering and she knows that she's close despite not having the advantage of her fingers buried deep inside of her to feel her walls clench. She tastes Cosima coming and it's different, but just as glorious. As she sucks greedily at her clit, Cosima cries out, a harsh wail, and nearly pulls out a chunk of Delphine's hair in the process. The force of her orgasm sends her forward and she falls into Delphine, who manages to catch her and slowly lower her onto the couch.

"And to think," Cosima muses, smiling and spent, brushing a bead of sweat from her brow. "You were all worried and shit."

Delphine returns her smile, wiping the residue from her mouth.

"That was...," she begins, searching for the right word. "Good."

"Good?" Cosima asks, feigning offense.

"It was different than I expected," Delphine tries to clarify. "I thought it would be... I don't know... _messy_."

"Messy?"

They both laugh at the notion.

Cosima looks up at her with glimmering eyes, toying with a vagrant lock.

"You always look at me like that," Delphine speaks.

"Like what?" Cosima asks, leaning her head far enough forward so she can press a kiss to the hollow of the blonde's throat.

"Like you're seeing me for the first time all over again."

Cosima chuckles against her throat.

"When you say it like that, you make me sound like some sort of cheese ball."

Delphine smiles.

"I like it. It makes me feel special," she admits.

"Well, you are special."

She settles her head against Cosima's sternum with a sigh. The brunette maneuvers her way out of her shirt and bra with minimal disturbance to the blonde, so that they're finally skin-to-skin.

"I'm really not all that special," she mumbles.

Cosima reaches down, fingers finding the taller girl's chin so she can tilt her head, angling her lips to meet hers in a soft kiss.

"You are to me," she confesses.

Delphine beams.

"_Le renard."_

"Huh?"

"From _Le Petit Prince_. The fox," she clarifies.

"What are you going on about?" Cosima asks, staring at her blankly.

Delphine closes her eyes, quiet laughter escaping lips which are drawn in a coy smile. She shakes her head, dismissing Cosima's question, ignoring her growling stomach and thundering heartbeat, and allows herself to be held.


End file.
